Arsenal icon Wenger on management return: 'I'm like a guy who doesn't do drugs anymore'
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels like he “doesn't do drugs anymore” when quizzed on a potential return to management.
Wenger has been serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development since leaving the Gunners in 2018 and has been lobbying for the World Cup to be held every two years.
However, the 72-year-old admits he misses the intensity of being in the dugout.
What has been said?
Speaking to beIN Sports, Wenger said: “You know, I can contribute in a different way but I always miss it, I still miss the intensity. I'm vulnerable - I'm like a guy who doesn't do drugs anymore.
“I think I can contribute in a different way, and if I can do it all over the world, it's satisfying.”
He added: “I'm like you, I'm an Arsenal fan. It's more than watching football, it's a way of life.”
It's unlikely that Wenger could return to Arsenal in the same role he held before however, with Mikel Arteta's reputation growing as he continues to rebuild the club. That said, the Frenchman's passion for the Emirates side is still strong.
He said: “It's caring about the beautiful game, about the values that we hold dear, about this stuff that goes into our body, into every cell of our body.
“We care, we worry, we are desperate, but when you come here, this theatre of dreams, we realise what it means.”
Where could Wenger go?
Reports have linked the former manager to a post at Paris Saint-Germain, with the club seemingly keen to bring him into their backroom staff rather than as a head coach.
Similarly, Didier Deschamps' contract with the French national team expire after the World Cup at the end of the year.